Pfizer pays out £45m over Nigerian drug test in which 11 children died

US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer has agreed to pay £45 million in an out-of-court settlement over the deaths of 11 Nigerian children during drug trials.

By Mike Pflanz, West Africa Correspondent

8:24PM BST 30 Jul 2009

The country's northern Kano state had accused the company of causing the deaths of the children, and injuring 181 more, during tests of an antibiotic during a meningitis outbreak in 1996.

Pfizer has always denied responsibility, saying that the virus killed the children. The payment will be split between the victims' families and a local hospital.

Kano state originally sued for up to £3.8 billion but the claim was withdrawn when it became clear there was the chance of a settlement without the need to go to court.

A joint statement from the two parties released in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, yesterday said: "We are pleased to announce that we have reached a final agreement to settle the Trovan litigation between Pfizer and Kano State government."

Trovan was the name of an oral antibiotic tested on 200 children with suspected meningitis during the outbreak.

The victims' families said that they did not consent to the drug being administered, although Pfizer said the tests were undertaken with the consent of the Nigerian government, and the parents were fully informed.

The agreement has sidestepped the need to go to court to agree a final payment. The out-of-court deal was sealed in April, but the amount was only decided on Thursday.

"The parties agreed that settlement is in the best interest of both parties as it avoids the cost and distraction of protracted litigation and enables both of us to focus on our core missions and business," the statement added.